Cades Cove Methodist Church

The Methodist congregation here goes back to the nineteenth century, but the building you see dates to 1902. It is simple, rectangular and a single room inside, built by the community. Frame construction with sawn boards was a step up from the log meetinghouses of the earlier decades, and the Methodists were among the later arrivals compared with the Baptists. The church bell and the steps up to the door are the details to look for.

Graves around the church carry the surnames of the cove's families. Many have simple stones, a few hand-lettered, and some date to the nineteenth century. Walk gently and stay on the paths.

• Where: on the north side of the Cades Cove Loop, a short drive after the Primitive Baptist Church and before the Missionary Baptist Church.
• Access: the church can usually be entered in daylight; read the signs for the day's rules.
• Time to allow: 15 minutes.
• Hours: the loop is open sunrise to sunset, 11 miles one-way. It is closed to cars on Wednesdays from May 6 to September 30, 2026.
• Parking: a small lot; a parking tag is required for stops over 15 minutes.
• Facilities: none; restrooms at Cable Mill.

The three churches show the cove's religious life in sequence: the early Primitive Baptists, the Methodists, and the Missionary Baptists. If you are short on time, this is the best-looking and the easiest to fit in. Mid-morning light works well, when the sun clears the trees and lights the white boards.